CofE on board for Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations

The Church of England is encouraging its 13,000 parishes to get involved with celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

It is lending its support to two national initiatives to mark the occasion, the Big Jubilee Lunch and the Big Thank You.

Around six million people across the UK are expected to sit down for lunch together in streets, parks and playgrounds on June 3.

Meanwhile, the Big Thank You will see churches and cathedrals welcome people in to add their well wishes and signatures to a letter thanking the Queen for her 60 years of service.

The contributions will be compiled into one large letter that will be delivered later in the year to Buckingham Palace.

The Big Jubilee Lunch is an adaptation of HOPE's annual church community project, the Big Lunch.

The Rev Richard Frank of All Souls Church, St Margarets, Twickenham, has organised a Big Lunch in the last two years since the project's launch in 2009.

Roads are closed off outside the church, tables and chairs put out, and a bandstand is erected as a platform for live local music acts to perform.

They also set up a bouncy castle, offer free face-painting for children in the church garden, and each member of the church brings food to share.

He said: "Our experience has been that it's a fantastic way to engage with our neighbours, bless the community and open up the doors of church to those who'd never usually make it, even into church the garden.

"In 2012 the Big Lunch is one of the official events helping celebrate the Queen's Jubilee.

"We'd enthusiastically recommend it for any local church in a residential area."

Churches will also be lighting up beacons in another nationwide initiative backed by the Archbishop of York and organisations like Premier Media Group.

Around 1,000 churches of all denominations are expected to take part.

Churches are being encouraged to register a community lunch at www.thebiglunch.com

The Church of England has made more information available online www.diamondjubilee.churchofengland.org